Consensus mechanisms are the linchpins of securing blockchain networks and enabling their functionalities. While Proof of Stake (PoS) has been a stalwart method, ensuring robust security and operational efficiency, it is not without its limitations. Berachain, an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible Layer 1 blockchain, introduces a unique alternative: Proof of Liquidity (PoL).
This article delves into the innovative mechanisms of Berachain, exploring its genesis, unique tri-token model, and the technical prowess that Chorus One brings to optimizing this approach, with ‘BeraBoost’.
Berachain's Proof-of-Liquidity (PoL) consensus mechanism addresses several limitations inherent in Proof-of-Stake (PoS) systems. In PoS, validators and users lock up a substantial amount of native tokens to secure the network. This staked capital, while ensuring network security, remains idle and does not contribute to the liquidity of the ecosystem. Consequently, these tokens cannot be used for DeFi applications, trading, or other on-chain activities. Although PoS is a resilient method for achieving consensus and securing blockchain networks, aiming for a high percentage of staked tokens can counteract liquidity needs within the ecosystem.
Liquid staking was developed to mitigate these concerns by creating liquidity for staked tokens, and it has proven successful in many ecosystems. However, Berachain's PoL model aims to surpass liquid staking. PoL can be simplistically described as "security by liquidity," meaning the only way to secure the chain is by providing liquidity. Given Berachain's primary focus on DeFi, this model is particularly relevant. But how does PoL actually function on Berachain?
Berachain's innovative journey began with the "Bong Bears" NFT project—a whimsical collection that captivated the DeFi community. Through this creative endeavor, the founders recognized a crucial gap: the need to harmonize liquidity provision with network security. This insight led to the birth of Berachain, designed to leverage liquidity as the cornerstone of its security model. With substantial backing from prominent investors such as Framework Ventures, Brevan Howard, Polychain Capital, and Samsung Next, Berachain is well-positioned to redefine blockchain consensus.
At the heart of Berachain's ecosystem lies its tri-token model, consisting of BERA, BGT, and HONEY. Each token serves distinct purposes, ensuring that the network can achieve its objectives of security, governance, and efficient transaction processing while maintaining a stable economic environment for decentralized finance (DeFi) activities:
$BERA (Liquid Token)
$BGT (Governance and Staking Token)
$HONEY (Stablecoin)
Let’s take a deeper look at their individual roles:
Under the hood, PoL requires validators to direct incentives to on-chain pools of capital called "reward vaults”. We are committed to approaching this process scientifically, through an algorithm we’ve named “BeraBoost” - it will be open source software, and run on a public dashboard. Beraboost will distribute incentives such that delegators to Chorus One earn maximum rewards, by tracking their LP positions and directing incentives to the relevant pools.
Berachain is currently on testnet and staking is not enabled. We are closely involved with the Berachain team and will support all institutional and individual use-cases for supporting BGT. If you're interested in knowing more, fill out this form.
OR
Email us - staking@chorus.one
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
Bitcoin is the oldest and the most valuable cryptocurrency, boasting a market cap of over $1.2 trillion as of July 2024. Not only does Bitcoin have the highest mind share among cryptocurrencies, but it has also made significant strides in mainstream adoption, including its integration into ETFs and its recognition as a legal tender in El Salvador. Recently, it has been in the spotlight with former U.S. President Donald Trump pledging to hold Bitcoin as a strategic reserve if re-elected. While Bitcoin is renowned for its store-of-value proposition, many Bitcoin maximalists are content with simply holding it for the long term. However, a pertinent question arises—what more can be done with Bitcoin? Enter Babylon, a project aimed at harnessing Bitcoin's potential beyond being a mere store of value.
Approximately 2.5 years ago, David Tse and Fisher launched Babylon with a vision to leverage Bitcoin's proof-of-work (PoW) security to bolster the security of proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains. Observing the trend of new chains opting for PoS due to its cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and lower energy consumption, they identified a gap: a trillion-dollar asset (BTC) remained largely idle. Bitcoin lacks native smart contract capabilities, limiting its utility in decentralized applications. Bridging BTC to other protocols or using wrapped versions like wBTC introduces trust issues with counterparties. Babylon aims to use BTC to secure PoS chains without bridging while providing full slashable security guarantees in a trust-minimized fashion.
PoS chains secure their networks through staked assets, often incentivizing validators with high inflationary rewards. This bootstrapping process is complex and lengthy, leading to the emergence of 'security-as-a-service' protocols like EigenLayer, Symbiotic, and ICS (Interchain Security). Babylon seeks to apply a similar model using Bitcoin, the most decentralized and secure crypto asset. While some argue that Bitcoin should remain a store of value, others believe in enhancing its utility. Babylon offers a solution by unlocking Bitcoin’s capital prowess, currently under-utilized, and integrating it into the PoS ecosystem to generate yields and drive new use cases.
With over $1.2 trillion in market cap, most BTC lies idle and does not generate any yield for its holders. This contrasts with PoS tokens, where capital efficiency is maximized to provide higher yields and support the ecosystem. Bringing additional utility to Bitcoin through secure and trustless mechanisms like Babylon can significantly enhance its economic impact and foster new applications within the crypto industry.
Moreover, the tension between high inflationary rewards and ecosystem incentives can be alleviated by leveraging Bitcoin’s economic security. Projects can tap into Bitcoin's decentralization and security, reducing the need for high inflationary incentives to bootstrap validator sets. Ultimately, market dynamics will determine the true need for sourcing a protocol's economic security from Bitcoin, but the potential is immense if executed in a trustless and slashable manner.
Babylon allows Bitcoin holders to stake their BTC for PoS blockchains without relying on third-party custody, bridges, or wrapping. It provides slashable economic security guarantees to PoS chains while ensuring efficient stake unbonding to enhance liquidity for Bitcoin holders. The protocol operates as a modular plug-in compatible with various PoS consensus protocols, serving as a foundational component for building restaking protocols. The core component, the 'control plane' (Babylon Chain), manages several critical functions:
Babylon is a Bitcoin Staking Protocol that provides shared security for PoS systems and allows Bitcoin holders to delegate their BTC to Finality Providers, who can then provide Bitcoin security to a consumer PoS chain or DA layer.
Babylon chain, on the other hand, is built on Cosmos SDK, which receives security from the Babylon Bitcoin Staking Protocol and acts as the first chain that Finality Providers can support. However, Babylon plans to support different PoS systems from various blockchain ecosystems and provide them access to shared security collateral with BTC.
Timestamping
Timestamping involves embedding data at a specific point in time. Babylon records PoS chain data onto Bitcoin to leverage Bitcoin’s robust PoW security. Due to Bitcoin’s expensive and limited blockspace, direct timestamping of every PoS chain onto Bitcoin is impractical. Instead, the 'control plane,' implemented as a Cosmos-SDK chain (aka Babylon Chain), aggregates timestamps from all PoS chains via IBC. This ensures a secure and immutable record of PoS data on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Staking Process
To stake, a Bitcoin staker (e.g., Alice) sends a special transaction to the Bitcoin blockchain, locking her BTC in a self-custodial vault. This vault, defined by Bitcoin's scripting language, has three transaction types:
Alice delegates her staking duties to a finality provider on the Babylon chain, who uses their private keys to validate the PoS chain on her behalf. This delegation maintains Alice's control over her Bitcoin while enabling participation in PoS validation.
Security Guarantees
Babylon ensures validators are accountable for their actions through cryptographic mechanisms like Extractable One-Time Signatures (EOTS). EOTS allows the network to detect and prove double-signing, exposing the validator's private key. This key, which is already pre-signed by the staker and the finality provider, is used to create a slashing transaction, burning the staked Bitcoin as a penalty. Babylon's protocol guarantees that a block is truly final only when it has received EOTS from at least 2/3 of the staked BTC.
A simplified transaction flow on Babylon would roughly look like this:
BBN token
Though no official details have been released yet, we expect there to be a BBN token that the BTC delegators can then stake with a validator of their choice just like any other Cosmos chain.
While Babylon introduces a novel approach to shared security using Bitcoin's hash power, other protocols like EigenLayer, Symbiotic, and ICS offer alternative models:
Protocols must weigh several factors—security robustness, trustlessness, economic incentives, integration complexity, ecosystem compatibility, and regulatory considerations—when choosing a shared security solution.
We've covered this topic in more detail in our previous article here.
Chorus One has been an early supporter of Babylon and we're already on its testnet as a finality provider.
Our FP address is 3e7af699845fae4817923f8c3484bc4759dc306d17255d859dcd0e08d9cc426c.
When Babylon goes live on mainnet, you will be able to stake BTC to Chorus One as a finality provider and earn the highest possible staking yields. If you want to learn more and be one of our early customers, click here. Also, don't forget to watch our podcast episode with David Tse, co-founder of Babylon!
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
The floor is Lava, and the ceiling is infinite! 🌋
We're thrilled to announce that Lava Network is officially live on public mainnet. As an early investor and dedicated supporter, Chorus One has been closely working with the Lava team from testnet stages to this monumental mainnet launch. Our commitment to Lava is steadfast, and we are excited to continue supporting its development and future growth.
Lava Network is at the cutting edge of blockchain accessibility, providing a user-friendly and scalable solution to tackle the crucial requirement for an access layer in the blockchain infrastructure. Unlike conventional methods relying on centralized or public RPC endpoints, Lava Network leverages a decentralized array of premier service providers. This approach ensures trustworthy, secure, and swift RPC services.
Lava comprises a Cosmos appchain and an off-chain protocol. RPC providers register on the Lava chain to serve RPC across many different ecosystems. Lava can support any chain and by aggregating providers and routing requests, boasts lightning-fast speed, hyper-scalability, and nearly 100% uptime.
Lava Network is structured with several key architectural elements:
Specifications (Specs)
Lava can support any chain but to add these chains, specifications must be written and pass through governance. Specifications are simple JSON files which describe the RPC calls and the compute cost to serve each call. Once a spec is added to Lava, RPC providers can join and serve the RPC calls for the new chain.
Peer-to-Peer Lava SDK
The Lava SDK is a decentralized, peer-to-peer blockchain RPC for developers exploring cross-chain functionality. This JavaScript/TypeScript library provides decentralized access to all chains supported by the Lava ecosystem. It simplifies the process of building decentralized applications and interacting with multiple blockchains, offering tools for both server and online environments.
The LAVA token is central to the Lava Network, serving multiple functions within the ecosystem:
The team has published detailed tokenomics, emphasizing the role of LAVA in rewarding infrastructure providers and supporting network security. Please refer to the official tokenomics documentation.
Staking Lava not only secures the network but also provides opportunities to boost network performance by giving more weight to top RPC providers. By staking with Chorus One, you can participate in securing the Lava Network while earning rewards from multiple blockchains. Here are the key benefits:
Staking Lava with Chorus One is easy. Follow these three simple steps:
To learn more or to if you’re an institution looking to stake LAVA with Chorus One, please reach out to us at: https://shorturl.at/znows
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
The Lava Network (LAVA) is a marketplace of infrastructure providers who collectively enable users and developers to interact with blockchains, through infrastructure like RPC and APIs. This allows users to access blockchain data (like prices, transactions, and more) by leveraging a network of decentralized providers, ensuring transparency, reliability, and data accuracy without relying on centralized sources.
By incentivizing data providers to serve accurate information and penalizing those who provide incorrect data, LAVA aims to solve the problem of unreliable and centralized data in blockchain applications. To learn more about Lava Network and how it works, check out our most recent blogpost here or our comprehensive deep dive found here.
1. Install the Keplr Wallet Extension
For the focus of this guide, we recommend using the Keplr wallet. While Leap is usable, this guide will be walking through a demonstration with Keplr.
However, if you would like to use Leap wallet and stake directly to the Chorus One validator via w3coins, you can reference the quick guide below:
In case you don't have the Keplr extension installed in your browser, please visit https://www.keplr.app/ and click on 'Install Keplr'.
Click on Install Keplr for Chrome if you are using a Chrome browser or Brave if you are using the Brave browser and follow the installation instructions.
2. Create/Import an Account
Click on the extension in the Chrome/Brave toolbar and the following page will open up.
Select to either create a new wallet, import an existing wallet, or connect with a hardware wallet.
In case you do not have an existing Keplr account you can click 'Create a new wallet'.
If you already have a wallet to use, you can select 'Import an existing wallet' or you can connect with a compatible hardware wallet, such as a Ledger device.
Here you can choose between creating, importing, or associating your wallet with your Google account.
If you choose to create a new wallet you will be shown 12 words as your mnemonic seed.
Please be sure to back up your mnemonic seed securely.
Never share this seed phrase with anyone, as they will have access to your funds.
Next, enter an account name and a passphrase to lock and unlock your wallet. You will be asked for the mnemonic again.
After verifying your 12 or 24 word phrase, you will be prompted to select any other Cosmos Hub networks you'd like to add to your wallet.
No need to add any other networks if you don't plan on using them yet. You can always select more networks later.
However, it is advisable to have 'Cosmos Hub' selected when creating your new wallet.
Be sure to search for LAVA in the list in addition to Cosmos Hub.
Once you selected the relevant networks you want to use, click 'Save' and you'll be all set to go.
All set!! Your Keplr wallet is good to go!
3. Log in to your Keplr wallet
Regardless of whether you already have an wallet or if you just created it, you can now click on the Keplr extension to view your address or visit https://wallet.keplr.app/?tab=overview to see your full Keplr dashboard.
4. Stake your LAVA
If you don't already have LAVA in your wallet, you can fund it with some tokens. You may use an exchange to transfer the tokens to your address or get it from a trusted third party that already holds some.
If you want to stake from the browser extension wallet, you can either navigate to the Keplr dashboard (shown below) or scroll down on the wallet screen and select LAVA.
Alternatively, you can connect Keplr to the w3coins explorer and stake to the Chorus One validator at this address: lava@1uxmygu9mc6kzykhquzdvtqlnxcprpgjxxhf6ln
Next, you will be prompted to stake.
How to access the dashboard from the wallet browser extension
Scroll down to find LAVA or use the search bar.
Once you are on the Keplr dashboard, to stake click on the 'Stake' tab in the left hand side of the dashboard.
Once there, you will see three steps highlighted in the pink box in the screenshot below.
Scroll or through the list or search for the chain you want, in this case LAVA.
Once you've chosen the Chorus One validator, select how much LAVA you wish to stake, then click the 'Stake' button at the bottom of the screen.
Clicking on Stake will take you to Keplr wallet for approval. Approve the transaction and you will be able to see your stake.
Please note that there is a 21 day unbonding process (also known as unstaking) for LAVA.
During this period your stake no longer earns rewards and cannot be transferred, exchanged, or spent.
However, you can cancel the unstaking process if you wish without penalty.
5. Claiming Rewards
After some time you will see rewards accumulating in your wallet.
You can simply go to the Keplr dashboard to claim them by selecting 'Claim' and approving the transaction.
6. Unstaking your LAVA
If you wish to unstake your LAVA, you can do so from the same interface in Keplr that you used to stake.
Simply click on the validator you wish to unstake from and you will be prompted with the following screen.
Please note that LAVA undergoes a 21 day unbonding period when unstaking.
To proceed, click on 'Unstake' and follow the prompts to select the amount of LAVA you wish to unstake. Then confirm and sign the transaction in your wallet.
And that's it! Your LAVA will begin unbonding which you can track from your Keplr dashboard under the Staking tab.
You can view and manage all ongoing unstaking transactions (undelegations) from your Keplr dashboard and cancel them if you change your mind.
After the unbonding period is complete you will be able to transact with your unstaked LAVA again!
A Note to Institutional Investors:
If you are an institution looking to stake LAVA with Chorus One, please reach out to us via our staking request form.
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 60+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
In Part 2 of our TON Series, we dive into TON’s staking mechanisms. We'll cover the what, why, and how of staking TON, as well as how to get started easily with Chorus One.
TON leverages the Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, a system where validators are responsible for proposing and validating new blocks of transactions. In TON's PoS model, validators are selected through a competitive election process to ensure the highest levels of security and performance.
The Election and Validation Process
The election process is central to TON staking. During each consensus round, potential validators submit their applications along with their stake and other parameters, which determines the level of maintenance they are willing to perform. The Elector governance contract evaluates these applications, selecting validators based on their stake and parameters, aiming to maximize the network's overall stake.
Once selected, validators enter a validation cycle, as depicted in the timeline diagram below:
Key Phases of the Validation Cycle:
To ensure continuous network operation, TON employs two types of pools—odd and even—which operate in alternating cycles, providing seamless validation without interruptions.
Minimum stake
To be eligible for the validator election process, validators need a minimum stake of
300,000 TON. Validators stake Toncoin for a fixed specific term, and the stake is refunded with interest after the completion of a validation round.
Validator rewards
Each transaction on TON requires a computation fee called gas used to conduct network storage and the transaction processing on-chain. Like most blockchain networks, on TON, these fees are accumulated within the Elector contract in a reward pool. 50% of fees users pay are burnt and 50% goes to validators.
The network also subsidizes block creation by adding a subsidy to the reward pool equal to 1.7 TON for each block in the main chain, called masterchain. TON’s architecture allows for the creation of parallel chains, called workchains. For workchain blocks, the reward per block is set to 1 TON. The network has an inflation rate of approximately 0.3-0.6% annually.
TON offers several staking mechanisms to cater to different needs and preferences. Let's explore these options:
The Nominator Pool is central in TON's staking ecosystem, offering a collaborative approach to staking that allows multiple users to pool their Toncoin (TON) tokens and collectively participate in the network's validation process. This pooling mechanism is designed to democratize staking, making it accessible to a broader range of participants who may not have sufficient tokens to meet the minimum staking requirements individually.
The Nominator Pool enables a group of up to 40 nominators (stakers) to combine their staking power and delegate it to a validator like Chorus One. This collective staking approach not only helps in meeting the high minimum staking thresholds but also ensures that the network remains secure and robust by leveraging the combined resources of multiple stakeholders.
How the Nominator Pool Works:
To visualize the Nominator Pool workflow, consider the following diagram:
This workflow ensures continuous network validation, with odd and even pools alternating their validation cycles to maintain seamless operation and security of the TON blockchain.
Pros and Cons of the Nominator Pool
Pros:
Cons:
2. Single Nominator Pools
The Single Nominator Pool is a streamlined and secure staking mechanism within the TON ecosystem, designed specifically for validators who have sufficient TON to stake independently (aka solo stakers). This approach reduces complexity and enhances security by focusing on a single nominator, making it an ideal choice for those who prefer a more straightforward staking process.
The Single Nominator Pool allows a single entity to manage the staking process, providing a simplified and secure framework for validators. By eliminating the need for multiple nominators, this mechanism significantly reduces the attack surface, making it easier to safeguard the staked assets.
How the Single Nominator Pool Works
To illustrate the workflow of the Single Nominator Pool, consider the following diagram:
This simplified workflow highlights the continuous cycle of election, delay, validation, and hold phases, ensuring the seamless operation and security of the TON blockchain.
Pros and Cons of the Single Nominator Pool
Pros:
Cons:
The Single Nominator Pool offers a secure and efficient staking solution for individual validators, combining simplicity with enhanced security measures. By focusing on a single participant, this mechanism ensures that the staking process is straightforward and easy to manage, making it an attractive option for those looking to stake their TON independently.
3. Liquid staking
Liquid Staking protocols enable TON holders to participate in staking pools, lending their funds to validators at a predetermined interest rate. In return, stakers receive liquid staking receipt tokens, known as Pool Jettons, which represent their share in the pool. These tokens can be exchanged back for TON at any time, allowing stakers to maintain liquidity while earning rewards.
The protocol is user-agnostic, accommodating users of all capital sizes without any minimum or maximum stake requirements.
How TON Liquid Staking Works
Pros and Cons of TON Liquid Staking
Pros:
Cons:
The Liquid Staking Contract offers a versatile and powerful staking solution on the TON blockchain, combining the benefits of liquidity, decentralization, and accessibility. By understanding and leveraging this mechanism, users can participate in network validation more flexibly and securely, contributing to the overall stability and growth of the TON ecosystem.
Chorus One offers white-label TON validator services for institutional customers, as well as deployment and management of nominator pools. We can create nominator pools for our customers, requiring a minimum delegation of 300,000 TON tokens (TONcoin).
As the operator, Chorus One takes full responsibility for the operational fees, maintenance, and performance of the validator, ensuring seamless and efficient service.
Fill this form - https://chorusone.my.salesforce-sites.com/WebToLead
OR
Email us - staking@chorus.one
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 50+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
The rise of TON (The Open Network) has been spectacular, driven by its seamless integration with Telegram and remarkable price performance, reaching new all-time highs in June 2024. Its native token, Toncoin ($TON), has achieved a market cap of $17 billion and a total value locked (TVL) of over 660 million at the time of writing.
This year, the network has gained tremendous traction, becoming the preferred solution for Web3 integration with Telegram, which reportedly has over 900 million users worldwide.
Key developments fueling TON's rapid adoption include the global launch of TON Space, a self-hosted digital wallet (Telegram Wallet), a strategic partnership with Tencent to create a ‘Super App Eco-platform,’ and the launch of native stablecoin payments. Major investors like Pantera Capital have also highlighted TON’s scalability and extensive user base, comparing its potential to that of Solana or Ethereum and claiming TON as one of the most exciting and unique blockchains in existence today.
Below, we explore some of the most unique innovations within the TON ecosystem. 👇
The Telegram Wallet, introduced in the fall of 2023, is a versatile tool for managing digital currencies directly within the Telegram messaging app. It offers both custodial and non-custodial options, giving users the flexibility to choose between having Telegram manage their keys or maintaining full control themselves.
TON Space, a novel feature within the Telegram Wallet, serves as its non-custodial component. It allows users to store, send, receive, and exchange various cryptocurrencies, including Toncoin, Bitcoin, and stablecoins, all within the app. Users can back up their wallets using Telegram and their email, eliminating the need to remember a seed phrase. Additionally, users can track their portfolio in real-time and receive transaction notifications.
Why this matters:
The key advantage of TON Space is its seamless integration with Telegram, providing easy access to funds, quick transactions with contacts, as well as enhanced security and flexibility for experienced users. Its integration with Telegram bots and services allows for efficient market updates, trading actions, and service payments, all in one place.
TON Space simplifies digital asset management, making it accessible to a broader audience while offering advanced features for experienced users. By combining the convenience of a messaging app with the functionality of a comprehensive wallet, TON Space aims to drive mass adoption of cryptocurrency, potentially increasing the user base to 500 million by 2028.
To understand how to choose the right wallet for your TON assets here, visit: https://www.coingecko.com/learn/top-ton-wallets-jettons-crypto
TON capitalizes on the messaging app's extensive user base to create a network capable of supporting a wide range of applications. Its ecosystem comprises the TON Blockchain, TON Storage, TON DNS, and TON Services, all designed to work seamlessly together.
At the core of TON is its blockchain, built for high performance and scalability. Its dynamic sharding mechanism enables the network to process millions of transactions per second, scaling efficiently as the user base expands.
Dynamic sharding is TON's key feature for achieving high scalability. The ability to shard into individual chains (work chains and shard chains) allows TON to "distribute" transactions, effectively removing the bottleneck of processing transactions on a single blockchain. Learn more about how TON’s dynamic sharding works here.
Why this Matters:
TON’s multifaceted services extend beyond traditional blockchain functionality, aiming to establish a foundational Web3 platform. By integrating various decentralized services within a single ecosystem, TON provides the infrastructure necessary for a decentralized internet, positioning itself as a significant player in the evolution of digital infrastructure. Additionally, TON’s highly scalable blockchain offers an ideal platform for developers looking to deploy applications for a large audience without compromising on speed or security.
Over 360 million users engage monthly with Telegram's “Mini Apps,” including chatbots and mini-games which are easily accessible via the TON Space. These TON-based applications leverage TON’s innovative support for payment channel technology (or Lightning Network) designed for fast off-chain transactions, efficiently handling microtransactions and high-frequency trading.
Why this Matters:
TON’s native support for off-chain scaling and the lightning network design addresses the scalability trilemma more effectively than bolt-on solutions. It allows the blockchain to handle high-frequency, low-value transactions, which are essential for the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.
Currently, there are over 300 projects on TON, with most building mini-apps accessible via the Telegram Apps Center. Earlier this year, memecoin trading tools like BonkBot leveraging this technology generated millions of dollars in revenue through Telegram’s interface. TON-based applications such as StormTrade now enable users to trade perpetuals, cryptocurrencies, stocks, and equities using the same platform. With StormTrade facilitating over $10 million in daily trading volume, similar TON-native Telegram bots are poised to become the preferred user experience for many traders.
On April 19th, 2024, Tether announced the deployment of a stablecoin, USDt, on the TON blockchain and in Wallet in Telegram. This development represents a significant advancement for the industry, allowing hundreds of millions of users to seamlessly send and receive stablecoins through the Telegram platform, making payments as easy as using Venmo or Apple Cash.
Additionally, as part of the TON network’s scalability plan, straight from Telegram Wallet, users can transfer USDt to i) contacts or other Telegram users; and ii) their own or others’ addresses in the TON blockchain for a very low fee (currently ~0.005 TON), making it a very convenient and competitive platform for small businesses and services.
Why this Matters:
For the TON community, integrating USDt into Wallet in Telegram significantly improves the transaction experience. Users benefit from free transfers within Telegram and only pay network fees when transacting on-chain, using TON space or other self-custodial wallets. USDt on TON also provides an accessible entry point for newcomers to cryptocurrencies, combining the advantages of digital currencies with the stability of traditional fiat currencies.
In fact, the supply of USDT stablecoin on the TON network crossed 500 million after two months of rollout, reflecting a high demand for this use-case.
Even when transacting on-chain, the TON blockchain is relatively cheap. Employing a gas based model, simple transactions’ fee currently averages 0.005 TON, or $0.04 at the time of writing when $TON was priced at $8. At this level, TON positions itself as a potential competitor to Solana - although TON’s scalability has not yet been tested as extensively.
Inflation rate in the protocol is 0.5% per year - considerably small compared to other blockchains. To compensate for that, all network participants are rewarded from both transaction fees and block rewards. As a consequence, users are incentivized to stake their TONcoin to secure the network and directly benefit from network adoption. The biggest advantage lies in keeping assets staked on-chain rather than with external parties offering a fixed APY, e.g. centralized exchanges. As part of a deflationary mechanism, 50% of all TONcoin collected in fees is burnt.
TON relies on the DPoS consensus mechanism with a set of validators who propose and validate new blocks. The validator set is determined by the Elector governance smart contract, which allocates new rounds based on each validator's weight, represented by the amount of tokens delegated to them.
Staking is one of the safest and most predictable ways to earn rewards in the crypto space, as the value originates from the blockchain’s native currency inflation, making it forecastable.
By staking your TON, you help secure the network and earn rewards. Chorus One is the leading enterprise-grade staking platform, enabling institutional customers to stake TON and integrate TON staking functionality into their offerings. We are ready to closely collaborate and contribute to the success of the TON ecosystem, and provide the best staking experience possible.
Reach out to us if you are an institution looking to stake TON with Chorus One.
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 50+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
Restaking Summer has arrived.
The staking revolution on Ethereum and other proof-of-stake blockchains has been one of the biggest developments in crypto over the past few years. First came staking pools and services that allowed users to earn rewards by contributing their crypto assets to help secure these networks. Then liquid staking derivatives like stETH unlocked composability and liquidity - holders could put their staked assets to work earning yield in DeFi while still earning staking rewards.
The first half of 2024 has seen the rise of restaking - protocols that allow staked assets like stETH, wETH, osETH and more to be recursively staked to earn compounding rewards. EigenLayer took restaking mainstream, locking nearly $20B in TVL (at the time of writing) as users flocked to maximize their yields. But restaking has been limited to a single asset like ETH so far.
Now, a new protocol called Symbiotic is aiming to push restaking into its next phase - a permissionless, asset-agnostic restaking layer for all of crypto.
Symbiotic is a generalized shared security protocol that serves as a thin coordination layer. It empowers network builders to source operators and scale economic security for their decentralized network.
At its core, Symbiotic separates the concepts of staking capital ("collateral") and validator infrastructure. This allows networks to tap into pools of staked assets as economic bandwidth, while giving stakeholders full flexibility in delegating to the operators of their choice.
The Symbiotic protocol has a modular design with five core components that work together to provide a flexible and efficient ecosystem for decentralized networks.
Symbiotic leverages a flexible model with specific characteristics that offer distinct advantages to each stakeholder:
For Operators:
For Restakers:
For Networks:
The protocol opened for deposits on June 11th, and it was met with much fanfare and demand: within a mere 5 hours of going live, a whopping 41,000 staked wETH had already been deposited into the protocol - smashing through the initial cap! New crypto assets and higher caps will be added as the protocol onboards more networks and operators.
Symbiotic sets itself apart with a permissionless and modular framework, providing enhanced flexibility and control. Key features include:
EigenLayer employs a more managed and centralized strategy, concentrating on utilizing the security provided by ETH stakers to back various decentralized applications (AVSs):
Symbiotic has collaborated extensively with Mellow Protocol, its "native flagship" liquid restaking solution. This partnership empowers node operators and other curators to create their own composable LRTs, allowing them to manage risks by choosing networks that align with their specific requirements, rather than having these decisions imposed by restaking protocols.
Mellow provides the ability for anyone, including hedge funds and node operators, to deploy a Liquid Restaking Token. This will likely lead to a significant increase in the number of LRTs, complicating their integration with DeFi protocols and affecting liquidity. Despite these challenges, Mellow offers several advantages:
We’re proud to share that we have integrated Symbiotic restaking into our staking dApp, OPUS Pool.
OPUS users can now seamlessly tap into Symbiotic's restaking capabilities with just a few clicks on our dApp. When the cap is relifted, simply deposit your assets to start earning Symbiotic points, which can soon be delegated to operators like Chorus One to earn rewards.
Not only is the process incredibly user-friendly, but it's fully secure and censorship-resistant - restaking as it was meant to be.
Start restaking today at: https://opus.chorus.one/pool/restake
Resources:
Symbiotic Website: https://symbiotic.fi/
Docs: https://docs.symbiotic.fi/
Twitter:https://x.com/symbioticfi
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 50+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
In blockchains, reliability and accessibility are key factors for increased web3 adoption, addressing certain bottlenecks in existing layer-1 protocol implementations. In distributed systems such as blockchain, the process of carrying out a transaction differs from modifying the ledger's state and recording the outcomes.
Aptos is designed in a modular way, which enables quick development and facilitates faster release cycles. Unlike monolithic architectures that require extensive time for editing, auditing, and testing, this modular approach allows changes to be focused on specific modules. This offers a systematic way to expand validators beyond just one machine by granting them access to more computational power, network capabilities, and storage options.
Aptos is a Layer 1 Proof-of-Stake blockchain. It uses Move, a programming language developed from Meta’s Diem and Novi projects. Move is designed for safety and reliability, harnessing the power of Rust, a low-level programming language.
Aptos’ technological stack features many novel models, including the AptosBFTv4 consensus mechanism, the Quorum Store mempool protocol, the Block-STM parallel execution engine, and Move on Aptos. The transaction flow on Aptos is distinctly different from most competing networks, with every step of the process—from broadcasting transactions, ordering block metadata, to consolidating storage—happening concurrently in a modular fashion.
AptosBFT, originally named DiemBFT, is a consensus algorithm developed by Diem’s core blockchain developers, many of whom now contribute to Aptos through Aptos Labs. AptosBFT implements increased throughput and lower latency compared to existing PBFT through a round-by-round consensus and block chaining. AptosBFT v4 enhances transaction processing speed through linear communication and chaining, improving synchronization speed among validators via a 'Pacemaker' and 'Timeout' mechanism.
The Aptos Labs team also introduced Quorum Store, an implementation of Narwhal. Quorum improves consensus throughput by decoupling data dissemination from network consensus. Before Quorum Store, transaction processing involved two major phases: Mempool and Consensus. An intermediate phase, the Quorum phase, was added between them. The Mempool holds potential user transactions, Quorum Store pulls batches of these transactions, broadcasts them, and forms proofs of their availability. Consensus orders these proofs, and execution uses Quorum Store to map them back to the corresponding transaction batches, thereby solving the problem of transaction redundancy efficiently.
DPoS - Delegated Staking: This serves as an expansion of the staking protocol. It involves a delegation pool acting as an intermediary between the stake owner and the validator. This pool can gather stakes from delegators and include them in the native stake pool linked to the validator on their behalf. This system enables various entities to meet the criteria for a validator to join the set by pooling stakes. Delegators have the option to contribute to an inactive pool, but rewards are only earned once it becomes active. The minimum stake is 11 APT, with the option to unstake at any time, but funds are not available until the next validator unlock date. Delegators are paid 8% of the service fees.
Move: Aptos blockchain seamlessly incorporates and utilizes the Move programming language for rapid and reliable transaction processing. The Move Prover, a formal validator for smart contracts written in Move, offers security against common errors, providing builders and developers tools to defend projects against attack vectors like double-spending.
Parallel Execution: Aptos handles transaction processing in parallel without requiring an upfront declaration of user-known dependencies, unlike other blockchains such as Solana and Sui. This approach facilitates more intricate transactions, reducing costs and latency for end users.
Transaction Flow: Aptos maximizes throughput and reduces complexity in transaction processing by dividing it into three stages: pipelining, batching, and parallel execution. These stages can be parallelized, enabling novel modes of validator-client interaction and enhancing development timelines by treating each phase as a separate entity. Transactions are organized into batches by each validator, merged into blocks through a consensus mechanism.
The native token of the Aptos ecosystem (APT token) serves multiple purposes:
As of October 2022, the total token supply of APT is 1 billion tokens, with a circulating supply of 130,000,000.
The Aptos ecosystem is growing thanks to continued efforts to improve UX through safety and performance.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi): Several DeFi projects are building DEX Aggregator, DeFi HyperApp, Liquidity engine, and perpetual DEX on Aptos.
Improved User Experience (UX): Platforms are building tools and products to simplify the process of building scalable applications on Aptos.
On-chain Gaming: Platforms are using Aptos SDK to build multi-platform applications by bringing decentralization to Unity developers.
Aptos is also facilitating interoperability by launching bridges like Wormhole on Aptos that allow native Ethereum and Solana users to move into the Aptos ecosystem.
Technical Improvements: Contributors to the Aptos protocol are committed to making the network more scalable, performant, and robust. The team at Aptos Labs developed a solution for deep testing called Previewnet that replicates what Aptos mainnet will look like in the coming months.
The team also unlocked a new record of >30k TPS (Transaction per seconds) in the Previewnet. Aptos is striving to expand scalability even more, aiming for >100k TPS as their next goal on the path to surpassing 1 million TPS. This bold target is in line with Aptos' goal of building a platform that can cater to billions of users, paving the way for widespread adoption of Web3 technologies.
Ecosystem Partnerships: Aptos collaborates with industry leaders like Google Cloud, Microsoft, and MoonPay, indicating potential for future growth and adoption.
Website: https://aptoslabs.com/
Developer Documentation: https://aptos.dev/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aptos
Telegram: https://github.com/aptos-labs
Github: https://github.com/aptos-labs
Discord: https://discord.gg/aptosnetwork
About Chorus One
Chorus One is one of the biggest institutional staking providers globally, operating infrastructure for 50+ Proof-of-Stake networks, including Ethereum, Cosmos, Solana, Avalanche, and Near, amongst others. Since 2018, we have been at the forefront of the PoS industry and now offer easy enterprise-grade staking solutions, industry-leading research, and also invest in some of the most cutting-edge protocols through Chorus Ventures. We are a team of over 50 passionate individuals spread throughout the globe who believe in the transformative power of blockchain technology.
